Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-17


Varder Smith bad lost his Office.
Yet wonders did not cease, aud there
Was no ease for the wnrders A subtle,
uncomfortable force, 20 which no mate.
rial barriers copld be opposed, issued
from the cell Of No. 90 and passed
silently. swiftly. invis;bly into the cells
of other prisoners, creating the
sttapccst effects upon the occupants.
some were troubled with distressing
dreams: some spoke Of snakes, cater.
nillars. and Holsters in their beds, ana
not few saw the disembodied spirits
Of pueons to whom they had owed
money. A great number became sud.
denly deaf. dumb, or incapable OF
moyement when at work in the day
tiuc. and remained so until the magi-
cal influence which seeme1 TO sur
ronrd and overpower them was re-
moved. One man was fined 200 marks
for saving that chocolate and cold
ouail would be a wholesome substi-
tnte for breed and cheese on Sunday,
ard another was put on bread and
wafer for q week for complaining to
tLe Governor that lie saw blue flames
ujaying about the head of the aposhe-
cary. 81
formerly none hut the officers OF the
mil had been subjected to these ex'
irayaeant experiences, but now the
prisoners and their officers were victlm-
iged together, and about one half OF
the population seemed to have run
clean mad.
The persons who were afflicted IN
these peculiar ways were such as had
rendert d themselves burdensome to the
mild-msnnered 222-warders whose
treatment Of him was more jealous
than tender prisoners whom he could
not endure because OF their extreme
uclipess: cooks of the prison who
baked. boiled, or roasted the rations in
n sloyenly manner and all those whose
crimes (Which he had secretly learned)
seemed to call for weightier punish
ment than that prescribed by law.
No. 800, in word, was rapidly ac-
curing complete ascendancy over the
volitions, sensations, perceptions, mem
orv, and imagination Of all in the prl-
son on whom he chose to cast the re-
sistless spell of his glance.
II should here be stated that the doc
tor of the prison was absent on sick
leave. an orderly OF the medical depart
ment having administC red poison to him
in moment of annoyance. The doc
tors place had been taken by a young
and futile man from London hospital,
who distributed pills on principle OF
his own and gave coughmixture to a
prisoner who complained of the govt.
| lie saw nothing in the madness Of No.
222's innumersble victims that could
not lie cured with the assistance of the
vardor. who was usually appointed tc
fog.
But the warders, one and all, began
10 be horribly frightened. 1t had beer
thtir cndeavor hitherto to hOOdwinl
the Governor touching the origin o
tbcse strange and wofui visitations, bu
IN this they had not been entirely sue
ctssiul. for the reason that some OF thu
rascs which had to be brought befor'
c.m wee 50 unparalleled in the RECORD
of Dlison delinquencies that his WORSHIP
ecan 10 lie suspicious and some search
il g and awkward questions were tn
u,ult.
; ow. However, the officers decides
lat the tire had come when the Gov
,Inor should lie put in possession o
ucl facts as they knew, end the chic
sarGer ord tie second warder wer
dOut,d 4 Gepuiation to wait upon him
HEY had an interview with the Cover
nor and put him in possession OF tn
.acts. Eut there Was really only on
.act. and IT amounted to this: that eS
lIaordina1y things had happened an
were happening in the prison: In
icst was conjecture and the conleetur
of the Chief wMderand his subordinate
reduced itsolfto this that in some wa
CT other which they could not explain
lr;scn,r No. 222 was accountable fc
cver,ihing that had arisen to dlstur
the peace of the jail.
The Governor said this was odd, &c
tie wardcrs he'd been compelled to a.
i il, that 80 far as his own conduct va
Concerned No. 222 was an exemplar
tlisoner. But the Governor perceive
nom the statements told to him thi
re cledit. il rot the salvation, OF I'll
isil was at stake ; so he svore once
twice to clear his mind, and having nj
;shod swearing lie ordered the prison'
, to lie brought TO him.
nthe same breath he countermande
lhe order. swore again to show that |
}nCw what he was about, and said
, would see the prisoner in his cell. +
VAS conducted thither at once. and wei
} n alone.
: No. 292, in accordance with his reg
r ar habit. was spending the bali ho'
, efore bedtime in a little quiet medit
con. and bad Just been specializing
, 10 the simplest and least houbleson
| method by which he might effect !
. ccape. for the monotony OF an unpr
o stable confinement began to be II
5 come to him.
He read the purport of the Cove
. ncr'svisit in his face aud readily dlvin
: tLe causes 20 which it was owing; t
varders had sent the Governor to
5 terrogate and intimidate him.
" What then? "Pooh (" said the prs
q rcr TO himself. Pooh p
"You are accused of creating d
l. !rrbsnces in the prison, said
Q Governor, and went on to lay
/ charge.
II While NJ spoke the prisoners
vas engaged i'll a quiet but rigor-
= .crutiuv # the Governors festur
# ord such POINTS in his character as q
c'ofcd themselves there were qulcl
d acted. :.
o "Pooh :" the prisoner said to HI
\. s,lf once more, Tor he had satlsf
# 'mstlf that tire Governor also was s.
1t ctptihle.
Il Tie Governor finished his haranl
az erd swore once Or twice to show Il
Lee meant what he said. lie was q N
r. Nbodid not swearexceptupono ccasi
ID II am going to take you in hand,
~ man !" said the Governor, at the c.
c1usion Of his charge.
or "And / Won, my man !" respond
ID the prisoner in dulcet but penetrat
tones.
n. The Governors first thought was t
Mt lie had mailman to deal with, and
at band went behind him in an instinct
search for the door.
adj "Remain where you are, said
n prisoner, observing the Govern
ed movement. Il will show you the d
ba IL ond nv "